The Newest Phenomenon in Israeli Politics

Posted on Jan 16, 2013

Naftali Bennett, a “forty-year-old settlement leader, software entrepreneur, and ex-Army commando,” is the face of Israel’s new religious right, and he’s ready to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a run for his money; a woman stole a train in Sweden and crashed it into an apartment building; meanwhile, although Jodie Foster’s coming out speech certainly made a statement, some LGBT activists argue she should have done so sooner. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

The Party Faithful
At a makeshift theatre in the port of Tel Aviv, hundreds of young immigrants from Melbourne, the Five Towns, and other points in the Anglophone diaspora gathered recently to hear from the newest phenomenon in Israeli politics, Naftali Bennett.

The Atlantic Yanks Scientology Advertorial After Outcry
The Atlantic pulled an advertorial package singing the praises of the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, last night after the sponsored content drew the attention—and ire—of both reporters and readers, and no doubt sparked an untold number of newsroom conversations about the ethics and optics of such revenue-generating efforts.

Can Dead Authors Survive The Age Of Twitter And E-Books?
Apparently, while browsing in bookstores, people often pick up classic novels, which are inexpensive and prominently displayed reminders of what we only pretended to read in high school and college but now would actually appreciate.

American Perceptions of Class Conflict
Economists may be worried that conflicts among them undermine their credibility—and so they seek to find areas of widespread agreement, limiting themselves to a survey of a few economists at a few elite universities.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication.

A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.